David Diehl, the longest tenured Giant, was thought to be expendable as 2012 came to a close. At best, the rugged offensive lineman would have to earn a spot in New York's starting lineup as training camp opened.

“I had the opportunity to possibly look around,” he said. “I couldn’t see myself in a different uniform.”

New York Giants training camp opens with veteran David Diehl again looking to cement his place on the team's offensive line. (AP Photo)

His decision is working out for both sides. With a restructured contract and looming question marks along the Giants' offensive line, Diehl once again enters camp as a valuable asset.

A former fifth-round pick who served as the starting left tackle in two Super Bowl victories, Diehl watched this offseason as the Giants picked Justin Pugh in the first round of April’s draft. The East Rutherford speculation mill has been spinning ever since, asking how long it will take the rookie out of Syracuse to unseat the 11-year veteran.

Yet Diehl says he's happy the Giants have been proactive in finding his future replacement, welcoming the opportunity to push himself through July and August.

“Anytime you go into an NFL season, you have to compete,” Diehl said, labeling Pugh as a player an NFL GM would “need on (his) team.”

The Giants open camp with a pair banged up offensive linemen in Chris Snee and David Baas, both of whom are experiencing longer-than-expected recovery times from offseason procedures. Even with the injuries, Diehl is confident that "tremendous veterans" Will Beatty and Kevin Boothe are healthy and ready to contribute.

It will be a stretch to think the 2013 offensive line can meet the standards of past units, regardless of who's healthy. The 2008 unit paved the way for two 1,000-yard rushers, while the 2011 group freed Eli Manning to throw for nearly 5,000 yards in a Super Bowl season.

Despite the uphill climb, Diehl feels that the Giants have established a “championship culture” and that injuries or not, “(the team is) never going to be satisfied.” Diehl recalled last season’s up and down performances and admitted that he is still bugged by how the club performed in its second title defense in five seasons.

“One week, you're playing championship football, one week you’re not," he said. "Did we earn the playoffs last season? No, we didn’t."

Diehl also is excited for what he feels the rest of the offense can achieve, labeling wide receiver Louis Murphy as a “huge” signing. He expressed his confidence that wide receiver Rueben Randle will have a breakout sophomore season after showing flashes of potential in 2012 and also lauded Eli Manning as “one of the best QBs in the NFL.”